This new mystery featuring Maryellen, her family, and friends, takes us from Daytona Beach, all the way to Cape Canaveral!

Scooter is the Larkin family’s beloved daschund. Maryellen grows angry with him one day after tripping over him, and sends him out of the house. Hours later, Scooter simply disappears! Maryellen is heartbroken, convinced it was her fault that Scooter ran away.

Things start to become fishy when Maryellen and her friends notice other dogs in the neighborhood have vanished. Soon, multiple suspects are coming out of the woodwork. Can Maryellen and her friends solve the case? Will Scooter return?

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I finished this book, all 232 pages, in just two nights. I think it took me about 90 minutes total to read it. I love these new mysteries with the BeForever characters. I want to read them all!

A fair warning – This book may be upsetting to some who are passionate about dogs and animals, but it’s an important book to read. I’m glad that American Girl is touching on tough topics (I won’t give anything significant away here), and the historical accuracy and explanations are superb. They cover a lot of ground in this one book, showcasing how dogs and other animals have been, and still are, used for science and scientific purposes. They also tie in the space race with the Soviet Union!

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4 thoughts on “Book Review #38: “The Runaway: A Maryellen Mystery””

Thanks for the review since AG is churning out books so fast that I can’t keep up! I think Scooter is such a vivid character in his own right… so I will want to read this one. I appreciate the caution on the subject… I’ll keep that in mind when recommending to kids.

You’re so welcome! I’m impressed at how fast they’re turning them out. I cannot wait for Nanea’s books! I’m happy to provide warnings – Even as an adult reader, my heart broke a couple times while reading this.